An iconic Boston restaurant that has been closed for nearly a year may be getting a new owner.
According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, the current company behind Jacob Wirth Restaurant in the Theater District is petitioning to transfer its license to BN Venture LLC to operate at the same location on Stuart Street, with the parent company being BN Venture LLC and the listed manager being Eric Alpert. No name change is shown in the hearing notice, and no other details have been given other than the fact that the place would have a closing hour of 2:00 AM--and no information on BN Venture LLC or Eric Alpert was able to be found online, so expect more to come out on the exact status of Jacob Wirth after the meeting takes place (it is slated for June 5). The restaurant has been shuttered ever since being hit by a fire last June, and talk of the place being up for sale before the fire continued afterwards as well.
Jacob Wirth first opened in 1868 and has been known in part for its German food and extensive beer list, as well as its piano singalongs. The dining and drinking spot resides in a building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and until it closed last year, it was the second-oldest continually operating restaurant in the city.
The address for Jacob Wirth is 31-37 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.
[May 29 update: According to several sources (including Richard Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie), one of the people behind BN Ventures LLC (it appears to be "Ventures" rather than "Venture") is William Gateman, who has been involved with a number of local restaurants and bars over the years including most recently the Beacon Hill Pub, The Tam, and Sullivan's Tap). A page within the corp.sec.state.ma.us site confirms this, and also includes the name Nancy Maida, who may be the same person who co-owns Pawsh Dog Boutique in the Back Bay, though this has not yet been confirmed.]
[Earlier Articles]
Jacob Wirth Restaurant in Boston's Theater District Closed After Fire in Building
Jacob Wirth Restaurant in Boston's Theater District Is Up for Sale
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]
